Dr. Celia Egan and true. Weight Journey

Introducing Dr. Celia Egan & true. Weight Journey

We are very excited to announce the arrival of Dr. Celia Egan to team true.! As we expand our expertise to include Internal Medicine and Primary Care, Obesity Medicine, and metabolic health; we also welcome Dr. Egan’s energy, kind heart, and passion for patient care. We can’t wait for you to meet her! Dr. Egan’s first official day with us will be August 16th.

Dr. Egan’s background & education

Dr. Celia Egan
Celia Egan, MD

Born and raised in West Michigan, Dr. Egan completed her undergraduate studies at the University of Michigan with a bachelor’s degree in Biochemistry. After earning her MD from New York Medical College, she completed her internship and residency in Internal Medicine at Weill Cornell Medical Center, New York-Presbyterian Hospital in New York, NY.  During her residency, she focused on outpatient weight management and Obesity Medicine with one of the field’s leading experts, Dr. Louis Aronne.

After residency, she worked at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, where she gained extensive knowledge in advanced inpatient oncologic care and survivorship care. After completing academic hospitalist work at Loyola University Medical Center in Chicago, IL, she joined WellessenceMD, focusing on medical weight management, obesity medicine, and wellness in primary care. She loved her experience and her patients, but home was calling, and she returned to West Michigan. For the past two years, she has been practicing Obesity Medicine and Internal Medicine at Spectrum Health Medical Group and is now joining true. Women’s Health. She will focus on extensive patient care in medical weight management and provide evidence-based wellness expertise to women in a primary care setting.

Dr. Egan is Board-Certified by the American Board of Obesity Medicine and the American Board of Internal Medicine and also maintains membership in the Obesity Medicine Association and The Obesity Society.

When not engrossed in medicine, Dr. Egan loves spending her free time being active and traveling with her husband, a local physician, and three sons. They love exploring all of West Michigan including new restaurants, learning to ski, and hanging out on the beach.

Introducing true. Weight Journey

true. Weight JourneyUnder Dr. Egan’s leadership, we are thrilled to launch true. Weight Journey, West Michigan’s first and only comprehensive physician-supervised weight management program for women designed by women!

true. Weight Journey includes three program options, each designed to meet the needs of women based on their desire for the intensity of focus and their available time commitment. The individualized programs include options for medications, meal replacements, meal planning, and counseling. In addition to Dr. Egan, women are surrounded by our specialized support staff in true. Weight Journey including our Nutritional Coach & Chef, Anna Pietrangelo, and our Licensed Professional Counselor, Ashley Wildman, Ph.D.

true. Weight Journey: Ultimate 12-week intensive program

An intensive program with weekly visits and a comprehensive nutritional overview. A VLCD (very low-calorie diet), meal replacements, and weight loss medications may also be included for some Ultimate patients.

true. Weight Journey: Fresh Start Six-month program

Monthly visits are designed to launch your transformative weight journey. Fresh Start includes personalized options for meals plans and food choices.

true. Weight Journey: Motivate Annual program

A yearly program with quarterly visits intended to provide support after your initial completion of your true. Weight Journey Ultimate or Fresh Start program and maintain your new healthy lifestyle.

Learn more and sign up here.

Flexible food that fits YOUR life

The team will work with each patient to create a food plan that accommodates individual needs and lifestyles. true. Weight Journey is a guilt-free, judgment-free weight loss plan program. One way mainstream diet plans fail is to allow little to no flexibility with social eating events. It is inconvenient and embarrassing to pull out a special meal at a wedding or barbeque! We guide and support women during these specific scenarios to keep them on track.

The lifelong battle for many women

The struggles of weight optimization can be a life-long battle based on a woman’s genetics, chronic medical problems, and habits. And society’s complicated relationship with food cannot be discounted as a factor in this battle. Dr. Egan and the true. team have designed the Weight Journey programs with longevity in mind.

Conflicting advice from multiple sources including medical providers, personal trainers, and the media fuel the common problems women face when it comes to losing weight.

Dr. Egan’s simple philosophy for long-term success requires three components.

  1. Education – learning the “WHY” or the reasons for a woman’s struggles with weight and WHAT she can do to take control of her weight loss journey
  2. Logistics – planning out the steps and details for HOW a woman can both afford and prepare healthy food
  3. Ability – How diet fits with a woman’s lifestyle

It’s time to put an end to yo-yo dieting and regaining weight and help women build the tools within themselves to succeed.

Mindfulness-based eating

In addition to evidence-based medical solutions, Dr. Egan has also integrated Mindfulness-Based Eating Awareness Training into the true. Weight Journey programs to help patients understand their relationship with food.

What is Mindful Eating?

  • being fully aware and present in the enjoyment of eating
  • avoiding mindless consumption of excessive portions
  • staying in tune with the physical and emotional sensations while eating
  • slowly eating where senses are engaged while taking note of flavors, color, and texture
  • identifying the emotional factors of food cravings
  • allowing a woman to control the food rather than the food controlling her
  • recognizing the different impacts foods have on energy and mood

Learning Dr. Egan’s Mindfulness-Based Eating techniques help women optimize their relationship with food and utilize it as a tool to heal their bodies. It’s time for women to say “good-bye” to constant feelings of shame when it comes to their weight and food choices.

Weight gain during midlife and menopause

We also can’t ignore the hormone changes that increase the risk for weight gain as women move through midlife into menopause. The reasons behind weight gain during midlife are complex and different for each woman. Weight fluctuations are common and not a result of wrongdoing! true. Weight Journey has been specifically designed to help each patient understand her individual situation, hormonal health, and determine the best plan to lose and safely keep off the desired amount of weight.

Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) is not specifically for weight loss but can be an essential aspect of maintaining a healthy weight and metabolic profile, even during perimenopause. Safe FDA-approved options for HRT may be part of a woman’s weight loss journey.

The truth about food addiction & disordered eating

Food addiction and disordered eating are often underdiagnosed and are painted as personal flaws rather than medical conditions. Many women find themselves not having control over food portions or choices, and weight gain can result from turning to food as a coping mechanism for emotional issues. Coping in this way can create an unhealthy long-term relationship link with food.

Being actively connected with Obesity Medicine colleagues from across the country has kept Dr. Egan on the cutting edge of weight management science and treatment options. Women can feel confident in Dr. Egan’s ability to improve their relationship with food AND herself. Dr. Egan has helped many women find success in their weight loss journeys and regain control. 

Primary Care at true.

In addition to leading true. Weight Journey programs, Dr. Egan is an exceptional Internal Medicine Physician and can also be your Primary Care Physician. true. participates with major insurance companies and bills insurance for in-office or telemedicine visits. true. Physician Assistant, Susanne Pettigrew can also be designated as your PCP if you are a Complete Wellness patient.

Placing women at the center of their care and providing a total wellness experience across all ages is the heart of the true. experience. Women can look and feel their best and not suffer preventable illnesses!

Designed by women, for women. Dr. Egan and the true. team are using their years of experience and love of women’s healthcare to work for every woman who walks through the door. Please plan on joining the conversation about women’s health and weight loss with Dr. Egan and Dr. Bitner at our Let’s Chat Facebook Live event on August 4th.